Later, Troublesome
by RosieShiba
Summary: Hikari is in love with Shinji but Shinji doesn't know it yet. All she needs to do is tell him but that is easier said than done when she has to deal with her friends and his. Ikarishipping.


**Later, Troublesome**

**Hikari is in love with Shinji but Shinji doesn't know it yet. All she needs to do is tell him but that is easier said than done when she has to deal with her friends and his. Ikarishipping.**

**Dedicated to ninetailsgirl94 and Airborne-Penguins :) For AshesandFire's contest! **

**GOOEY FLUFF WARNING!**

There was one thing universally acknowledged was that Hikari Berlitz had the biggest crush on Shinji Verity but he was the only person who didn't realise it. Shinji wasn't dense, he was quite smart, but when it came to the feelings of others he seemed to turn a blind eye. He might suspect that Hikari had a crush on him but he would never act like he did. That was Shinji verity through and through.

Hikari was a very different person. She was well liked at school as being a peppy, cheerful girl who liked to help those who needed it. She was cute too, so cute in fact the other guys in her class had a hard time not liking her. There was no point for a guy to like Hikari because she was so in love with Shinji.

There had been several times when she had tried to tell Shinji her feelings but every time she had been foiled by something like her friends intruding, his friends appearing or both. Shinji always looked slightly annoyed whenever this happened but he was someone who loved peace and quiet. Their friends were not exactly quiet.

Deciding that she had to get Shinji out of the way of her friends and his, she decided to walk home with him one day. That way they wouldn't be interrupted.

"Is there any reason why you wanted to walk home with me?" Shinji asked while they walked through the park. Hikari laughed nervously.

"I just thought it would be nice and quiet," she garbled, "You know away from the others."

"Sitting in the middle of the motorway would be quieter than our friends," Shinji remarked, a smirk worming its way onto his face. Hikari smiled at this and returned to walking in silence. Slowly she came to a stop, fiddling with the school bag in her hands. Shinji slowed to a halt when he realised she was no longer following him.

"Well, in truth, there is something I have to tell you Shinji," Hikari said quietly. He looked down at her for a few seconds as she went red in the cheeks. She played with her fingers for a few seconds, all the while Shinji waited for her. He didn't try to prompt her, he merely stood glaring into her eyes.

"Well... erm... you see," she stuttered. She took in a deep breath gathering her courage. "The thing is, Shinji, I-"

She didn't get any further because Shinji's phone rang in his pocket. He grunted in frustration as he pushed the sleek gadget from his jacket and put it up to his ear.

"What?" he barked. There was a pause as the person on the other phone talked to Shinji. Shinji looked far from impressed as he grunted and put the phone down. He sighed. "Sorry, I have to go. Can this wait?"

"Erm... sure," Hikari said, her heart beating loudly in her chest. Half of her was glad she didn't get to tell him. Half of her was also very sad that he didn't have the time for her.

His eyes washed over her face before he closed his eyes and began to walk off. Hikari put her hands on her chest, feeling her heart. She blushed again when she heard Shinji speak.

"Later, Troublesome," he called.

"Oh it's a mess," she complained twenty minutes later as she sat on a small stool at her friend's house. Linden, a year older girl with long auburn hair, merely nodded as she tried to concentrate on the piano tune she tried to play. It was complicated so she really needed to think about where her fingers were going. Hikari didn't seem to mind one bit that Linden wasn't listening to her. "I try to tell him, I really do, but it never works out."

"Maybe," Linden said with a slight pause afterwards, "Maybe you just need to blurt it out."

"I don't want to blurt it out," Hikari said, "I've liked him too long to just blurt it out."

"So you'd prefer to waste your time and fail?" Linden asked, raising an eyebrow at Hikari. Hikari puffed out her cheeks in a very childish manner because she knew Linden was right. Linden laughed at Hikari. "For now, put him out of your mind, Hikari. Pick up your violin and let's practice. You know music is a very good way for healing, right?"

"Alright," Hikari moaned, reaching over and unclipping her violin case.

The two girls practiced for a while, laughing every now and again as they both messed up the notes they were playing. Linden kept catching the wrong note on a very difficult section of music and Hikari kept screeching the strings on a very high note. Finally they gave up and decided to sit at Linden's table so they could drink some tea Linden's maid had brought in.

"Maybe you should play Shinji a song," Linden said, "Like a dedication to him."

"I can't write music," Hikari replied as she picked a pink iced cupcake from a stack in the centre of the table. Linden let out a sigh. This was going to be harder than she thought.

"Is there a class project you two could work on together?" Linden asked. Hikari shook her head sadly. "You're right, this is hopeless."

"Hey!" Hikari snapped making Linden laugh at her younger friend's tone. Linden often thought of Hikari as a younger sister since Hikari always came to her with her problems. "Linden, what can I do?"

"Tell him," Linden replied, "When the opportunity presents itself, you will tell him without any problem but until then you've got to keep trying."

"OK," Hikari replied glumly.

"Now drink up," Linden said happily, "It's getting late so I'll have to walk you home."

"Right," Hikari mumbled.

"So did you tell him yet? Did you? Did you?" Haruka asked the moment Hikari stepped into the classroom the next day.

"WHAH!" Hikari screamed, leaping backwards several feet and landing on her bottom. She groaned as she got off the floor.

"Sorry, did I scare you?" Haruka asked sheepishly as Hikari stood up, wincing at the pain of falling onto the hard concrete floor.

"I'm fine," Hikari replied. Haruko titled her head to the side as she watched Hikari stumble into the room, still holding her bottom when she'd fallen on it. Hikari walked to her desk and carefully sat down in her chair. Haruka followed Hikari but sat in the chair at the desk in front of Hikari's. On the desk to the right of Hikari sat Kasumi who was reading a book before the teacher came in. Kasumi had obviously forgotten to do her homework again and was now catching up with it.

"Did you tell him?" Haruka prompted. Hikari looked up at her brunette haired friend. For a few seconds Hikari maintained eye contact with Haruka but then Hikari let out a sigh. She put her head in her arms on the desk. "I'll take that as a no."

"It's a disaster!" Hikari said but her mouth was muffled by her arms.

"You'll tell him sooner or later," Kasumi told Hikari in a comforting way. Hikari glanced at Kasumi through a small peaky hole in her arms. Kasumi was smiling at Hikari with her eyes closed. "Everything will work out."

"That's what Linden said but I don't know how long I can hold on," Hikari replied. She sat up and leant back in her chair looking thoroughly depressed. "I have no idea how I could tell him. It's like… It's like I'm cursed or something. I have no idea why either. I've always been nice to people, haven't I?"

"You've just got bad luck," Haruka replied with a small chuckle.

"Look, Hikari, if you really like him then you will tell him," Kasumi told Hikari in a very serious tone. All Hikari could was nod dumbly at Kasumi for a few minutes until the teacher walked into the room.

Hikari couldn't concentrate that day. She felt completely sick through out her lessons not because she was ill or hungry but because she could clearly see Shinji when she looked at the teacher. Every time she saw the plume of mauve hair, her heart did a little flip. He was sat a few seats in front of Kasumi so she couldn't see his face but she could stare at the back of his head. He was taking down notes like any good student would do.

When lunch came, Hikari didn't touch her food. She gave it Haruka to eat since Haruka was hungry. In truth Haruka was always hungry so it didn't really surprise Hikari one bit. Kasumi didn't seem to notice that Hikari was off her food either since she was too busy reading a report from the swimming team. Hikari merely sat on the edge of the picnic blanket the girls used for their dinner and waited for the next lessons to start.

As soon as she was in her classroom again, she began to feel a little sick. Her concentration began to slip even faster than before. She didn't even have enough concentration to look at Shinji through out her lesson. In the end she resorted to putting her chin on the table and staring at the board until the lesson was over.

"Come on, Hikari," Kasumi scolded her when class was over, "We've got PE next."

"O-OK," Hikari mumbled. She slowly got to her feet and followed Kasumi and Haruka out of the classroom with her PE kit under her arm. Five minutes later, the three of them were walking down stairs to the front of the school so they could have their lesson. Kasumi and Haruka were walking ahead of Hikari so they didn't notice that she was stumbling and meandering all over the place.

"Oh boy!" Kasumi cried, "I hope this week it's volley ball!"

"I want baseball," Haruka replied, "I love baseball."

Hikari was now so far behind her friends that they disappeared from her view as they went round a corner and down some more stairs.

"Get it together," Hikari mumbled to herself as she approached the stairs, "Let's go, Hikari."

That's when she promptly tripped and fell down the stairs.

She would've been hurt very badly if it wasn't for the group of three guys that happened to be passing the bottom of the stairs. Shinji instinctively caught her before she fell onto the floor.

"Hey, Hikari's literally falling for you, Shinji," joked Shuu. Shinji gave the green haired boy a sharp, icy glare.

"It looks like she's passed out," mutter Satoshi, peering from behind Shuu's shoulder with his finger on his lips and his brows furrowed. Shinji sighed deeply before he picked Hikari up.

"I'll take her to the nurse," Shinji told them.

"Yeah," Shuu laughed, "Anything to get out PE, Shinji."

"Whatever," Shinji replied. He jogged down the corridor towards the nurse's office, leaving Satoshi and Shuu stood awkwardly in the hall.

"He really is dense, isn't he?" Shuu asked.

"Denser than me," Satoshi replied with a nod, "And that's saying something."

"Let's go," Shuu said, "We can't be late to class."

"Sure," Satoshi agreed.

Hikari sat up sharply in the hospital bed. She looked around nervously only to yelp when she saw Shinji sat on a chair next to her bed.

"Sh-Shinji?" she asked, "What are you doing here?"

"You passed out in the corridor," Shinji stated, "I caught you as you fell down the stairs."

"You caught me?" Hikari blurted. Her cheeks quickly turned pink. "I'm sorry to put you through so much trouble."

"You are Troublesome, Troublesome," Shinji remarked smirking as he said this. Hikari gulped nervously as silence fell on them. Hikari could hear the nurse humming faintly from her desk in another room and the sound of children outside playing sports. "The nurse says you passed out because you hadn't eaten anything all day."

"I didn't feel like eating," Hikari replied quietly.

"Is something bothering you?" Shinji asked, "You're not as chirpy as you usually are. Usually you radiate happiness and cheeriness and pinkness. Today you're sort of sad looking. Is there anything that is bothering you? Is anyone picking on you or is school too hard for you?"

"Oh, erm…" Hikari replied, going pink once more, "It's nothing really… There is something bothering me… but I can handle it."

"Are you sure?" Shinji asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Well… I suppose I could," Hikari replied remembering what Linden had said to her the day before. Shinji was asking her to tell him she liked him. This was the perfect opportunity. Hikari cleared her throat. "It's just that… I really, really-"

"HIKARI!" screamed Haruko and Kasumi as they flew into the room. Hikari blanched as Shinji turned to see who was intruding this time. Kasumi and Haruka realised their mistake the moment they saw Hikari and Shinji looking at them. Shinji was frowning, Hikari was frozen on the spot.

"Erm… is this a bad time?" Haruka asked, putting her finger to her lips. Shinji shook his head and stood up.

"I was just leaving anyway," he replied. He glanced back at Hikari as she watched him walk to her friends. "I'll walk you home. I don't want you passing out again in the middle of the street."

"OK," Hikari said.

"You would pass out again," Shinji went on, "You are so troublesome after all."

With that he left, leaving the three girls to turn mechanically to look at each other. For a few seconds no body spoke. Kasumi and Haruka knew they had messed up while Hikari was still quite confused at what had just happened. Finally Hikari let out a sigh.

"I should get dressed," she said.

Shinji leant on the door frame, waiting for the blue haired girl to show up. So far she hadn't arrived which was slightly annoying and worrisome. What if she had passed out again?

"Shinji!" he heard her yell over the buzz of the school crowd. She pushed into view, looking very flustered. "Sorry I'm late. The nurse wouldn't let me go and then I had to change into my school uniform."

"It's no problem," Shinji replied, "Let's go."

They walked slowly compared to the other school traffic. Hikari walked close to Shinji with her heart beating noisily in her chest. Shinji didn't seem to be bothered by the current situation. He was walking calmly with his hands tucked into his pockets.

"So what were you going to say when the others came in?" he asked suddenly, "Or have you told them?"

"Oh… erm… that," Hikari stuttered. She thought about the answer for a few seconds until took a deep breath. "Well, they already know but I still think I'd feel a whole lot better if I told you too."

"Alright," Shinji said, "What's been eating you?"

Hikari skipped in front of Shinji, stopping him in his tracks. A deep blush spread over her cheeks as she stared triumphantly into his eyes. Shinji's eyes widened in shock at her abrupt behaviour.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Well…" she explained or tried too. She continued to stare into Shinji's eyes but after a few seconds she realised she couldn't do it. She couldn't say it. Tears formed in her eyes as the realisation froze her insides. She couldn't say this to him, she couldn't tell him how she felt. The fear of rejection was terrible and scary. Slowly she looked at the floor. "It's nothing really."

"It doesn't look like nothing," Shinji replied. Hikari's head shot up but now she had a wide smile on her face. Shinji was genuinely confused now since she looked so depressed just seconds before.

"Its fine Shinji," she told him, "It's just really nice to know that you're here for me."

She turned round and skipped off happily leaving Shinji to wonder what was wrong with her. He ran a hand through his hair.

"This girl is going to drive me insane," he muttered to himself before he walked to catch her up. At least she's a little more cheerful, he thought as he caught a glimpse of her smiling face. She looked at him and smiled even wider, closing her eyes this time.

"Linden and I are going to be performing in the school arts festival," Hikari told him, "But I'm worried I may pull Linden down with my rubbish violin playing."

"I'm sure you won't, Troublesome," Shinji told her, "As long as you look cute everyone will love you."

"Now you're asking impossible, Shinji," Hikari laughed.

"Yes, I guess so," he agreed. Hikari laughed some more before she whacked him lightly on the arm.

"You're so mean," she told him.

Linden and Hikari looked at each other in a nervous kind of way as they waited back stage at the Arts Festival. Hikari was cuddling her violin tightly to her body while Linden was stood flexing her fingers.

"Don't worry, Hikari," Linden said suddenly, "We're going to be great."

"Yeah," Hikari said half heartedly.

"Did you manage to tell Shinji?" Linden asked. Hikari shook her head quickly.

"I got the opportunity to but I couldn't," Hikari replied, "I got scared of him rejecting me. If he did then I don't know how I would've felt. If he had rejected me then he might not want to be my friend anymore."

"It'll be alright, Hikari," Linden said softly, grabbing Hikari's hand with her own. The two girls looked at each other, smiling confidently.

"Next up for your pleasure are Linden Holmes and Hikari Berlitz performing suites by Dario Marianelli," the announcer boomed. Hikari and Linden nodded at each other. They walked confidently from behind stage onto the wooden platform. While Linden took up her position at the large Piano off centre of the stage, Hikari stood in the centre and began to play their first song. It was a violin solo that they had arranged based on a song called 'A Postcard to Henry Purcelli'. Hikari played the melody gently until Linden came in with piano right at the end.

There was a short spell of applause then the two of them went into a duet where Linden played quick notes and Hikari used her full bow for one note. The theatre was silent as they enjoyed the music, only breaking the quiet when a song had finished. After the second song finished Hikari stepped forwards.

"I'd like to dedicate this song to a dear friend on of mine," Hikari told the audience, "He's a real nice guy who always manages to catch me when I fall. This is a Variation on Darcy's Letter."

Then Hikari broke out into an urgent melody for a short while. Linden then took over with a softer more loving melody with Hikari in the background. The tune was soft and gentle. All the time Hikari was playing the tune she was looking for Shinji in the crowd. Had he been here to hear her dedicate this to him? Did he realise it was him she was talking about? She hoped so. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to get drawn up in the song.

After that Linden and Hikari played their final song before they bowed and left the stage. Linden seemed very pleased with herself as she walked behind stage but Hikari was still in the realm of worry. She finally let out a sigh as she passed the next act on stage.

"That was good," Linden said, "Great job Hikari. All that practice paid off."

"Do you think he heard?" Hikari asked Linden, looking over her shoulder at the curtain. Linden let out a soft sigh and just happened to look at the entrance to the backstage from the corridor. A small smile appeared on her face.

"Ask him yourself," Linden told Hikari, "I'm going to check up on Suzume."

"What?" Hikari snapped but it was too late. Liden was already passing Shinji at the door way. Linden paused just in front of Shinji, giving him a look to tell him to beware. After that she continued as if nothing had happened. Shinji did a slight double take at Linden's behaviour but soon shook it off. He looked towards Hikari who was frozen on her spot.

"You played really well," he told her, "But I have to admit I'm a little jealous of the guy you dedicated that song too. Darcy's Letter? Really? Isn't Darcy supposed to be the most handsome, most romantic character in the history of literature?"

"You jerk," Hikari snapped, "I meant you. And yes he is."

Shinji smirked at her reaction. He ran a hand through his hair, a nervous habit he had even if he'd never admit it. Hikari glared at him in a highly amusing way but he didn't seem bothered by it.

"So I'm Mr Darcy?" he asked.

"No," Hikari replied, "Mr Darcy's way better than you… and he's rich."

"Ouch," Shinji remarked, placing his hand over his heart, "Being cast aside for an Austen character. That's mean."

"Bleh," Hikari replied, childishly sticking her tongue out at him. Shinji smirked at her.

"Troublesome, I'm really glad you're feeling better now," Shinji said honestly. Hikari stopped her childish gesture to stare blankly at Shinji like she was surprised by his confession. "You really had me worried for a while, you know. Please don't do it again."

"Shinji," Hikari muttered. She looked down at the floor in embarrassment and guilt, unable to look him in eye. Shinji ran his hand through his hair again suddenly at a loss for words. Now this was like him and he knew this. He glanced up at the various bits above the stage: the lights and the pulley systems they used for moving the sets in drama productions. The silence was getting to him too. "I wanted… I just… I'm sor-"

"Hikari," Shinji interrupted. Hikari looked up at him in surprise. Did he just call her by her real name? He looked oddly agitated suddenly, not like Shinji at all. "I know this is coming from nowhere and I know you're a friend of mine but… I really like you, more than a friend."

"What?" Hikari spluttered. She clamped her hand over her mouth to stop herself from saying anything else. Shinji avoided her eyes.

"I've been trying to tell you for a while but… Things just kept getting in the way," he said, "But I wanted you to know how I felt."

Hikari let out a shriek of joy before she jumped on Shinji. The force of her leap pushed them both onto the floor.

"Hey!" Shinji snapped, "Get off, Troublesome."

Dawn pulled off of him smiling at him.

"Me too," she told him, "I've been trying so hard to tell you that I like you too but people kept getting in the way. I never thought you'd feel the same why and I got scared."

Shinji blinked a few times at her just as surprised as she was at his confession. He sat up slowly, propping himself up with his elbows while he stared at Hikari's face. She was smiling brightly at him.

"Well… this is awkward," he muttered. Hikari laughed and nodded, blushing madly as she realised she was still on top of him. She slid onto her knees beside him.

"I'm glad," Hikari said, "That I managed to tell you. It makes me happy!"

"Simple things make simple people happy, I suppose," Shinji retorted quietly. This earned him a soft punch on the arm. The two of them fell into a short spell of laughter until Shinji got to his feet. He dusted himself off then reached down to offer Hikari his had. He helped her to her feet.

"Do you want a drink?" he asked, "I bet you're thirsty after performing."

"I am," Hikari admitted. Shinji held out his hand for her to take again. She paused, blushing madly, but then grabbed his hand greedily. "Are you buying?"

"Why would I do that?" Shinji asked with a smirk.

"Mr Darcy would," Hikari replied. Shinji merely chuckled and led her out of the door. "I'm serious, he so would buy me a drink."

"Yeah, yeah," Shinji said, "I get it."

The door shut behind Shinji quietly, leaving the entire back stage in perfect silence apart from the shouting of Haruka a few minutes later. No, Shinji and Hikari would never have any piece and quiet with the friends they had but they didn't really care, it would make their time together a whole lot better.

**I feel so icky after writing this. I am genuinely feeling ill over the soppiness of this story *shudders*. Remind me never to write romance again.**

**There is a picture that this story is based on so go take a look at my Deviant Art account!**

**Once you've stopped using your buckets, please leave me a review.**

**RSx**


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